Monday, September 20, 2010

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness. It was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair...."

-Charles Dickens, A tale of two cities,

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." God, via Paul: Hebrews 12:1

Rubbing the rope burns of my most recent entanglement, I looked back over the pictures of our Saturday and the quote from Dickens came to mind. Each day we truly are experiencing the best and the worst. And each day I am seeing the best and the worst of me. I hate the worst. And, making the worst worse...don't you just hate it when your foibles are being witnessed by this little crowd observing and soaking up all. Adjusting their own behavior not by the words of wisdom you share, but by the acts of foolishness you protray.

Ouch! Pierced by the sword.

my sin, my sin my sin..becomes the log in my eye. Woe is me, a person of unclean lips...and yes, I know the coal of the fire of forgiveness reaches me...that He is faithful and just to forgive me and to cleanse me of the sin.. but forgiven and guilt free is not all I want. I want to be different.

Anyway...alas... it is the season of hope and the season of despair.

Here are pictures of our Saturday at a pirate event put on by the local library. (Did you know Saturday was national talk like a pirate day?) My son's and friends were enlisted to man the cannons...as my girls looked on.

Click and Read!!!

i heart esty

O God, I have tasted Your goodness,
and it has both satisfied me
and made me thirsty for more.
I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace.
I am ashamed of my lack of desire.
O God, the Triune God,
I want to want You;
I long to be filled with longing;
I thirst to be made more thirsty still.
Show me Your glory, I pray,
so I may know You indeed.
Begin in mercy a new work of love within me…
Give me grace to rise
and follow You up from this misty lowland
where I have wandered so long.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Interesting...

I Would Gather Children

Some would gather moneyAlong the path of lifeSome would gather roses,And rest from worldly strife.But I would gather childrenFrom among the thorns of sin,I would seek an ebony curl,And a wide and toothless grin.For money cannot enterIn that land of endless day,And roses that are gatheredSoon will wilt along the way.But oh, the laughing children,As I cross the sunset sea,And the gates swing wide to heaven,I can take them in with me!~Author Unknown~

If it ain't fresh...it ain't food!

I saw what I saw....Sara Grovers

No Orphans in God...

God Loves Us...

“God wins us,not by shouting, beating us up, or starving us into submission,but by asking for an invitation to enter.

We are loved into surrender.The more we accept that he operates out of love for us, the more we will entrust ourselves to him.

Fénelon expresses this truth beautifully: "God is not a spy looking to surprise you. He is not an enemy lurking in the shadows to hurt you. God is your Father who loves you, and wants to help you if you will but trust in His goodness."